Besan Peda is a popular Indian sweet made from roasted chickpea flour (besan) and sweetened condensed milk. It has a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture and is often flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts. Here's a simple recipe to make Besan Peda:
Ingredients:
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios) for garnishing
Instructions:
Roasting the Besan:
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-low heat and add the ghee.
Once the ghee melts, add the besan and start roasting it. Keep the heat low to avoid burning.
Continuously stir the besan and ghee mixture to ensure even roasting. The besan should turn aromatic and change color to a golden brown. This process may take around 10-15 minutes.
Mixing the Condensed Milk:
Once the besan is roasted, reduce the heat to low and add the sweetened condensed milk.
Mix well to combine the condensed milk and roasted besan.
Flavoring and Cooking:
Add cardamom powder to the mixture and continue to cook on low heat. Keep stirring to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Cook until the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan. This will take about 8-10 minutes.
Shaping the Pedas:
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down slightly until it's comfortable to touch.
Grease your hands with a little ghee and take a small portion of the mixture. Roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball. Then, gently flatten it to form a disc-shaped peda.
Place the shaped pedas on a plate or tray lined with parchment paper.
Garnishing:
While the pedas are still slightly warm, you can press chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios) onto the top for garnishing. Press them gently into the pedas.
Setting:
Let the pedas cool completely at room temperature. As they cool, they will firm up and set.
Serving:
Once the Besan Pedas have cooled and set, they are ready to be served. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
